The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) is expected to hold talks with China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co (CSOC) by early next month about a proposed engine for the S26T Yuan-class submarine being built for the navy, said navy chief Adm Choengchai Chomchoengpaet.
"The navy needs to have submarines as part of its naval force so as to allow it to best operate during a time of crisis," Adm Choengchai told media on Tuesday.
"Conflicts remain in the region," he added.
Adm Choengchai said the navy has formed a panel on the submarine project, chaired by navy chief-of-staff Adm Chonlathit Navanukroh. The panel will invite the CSOC and China's naval attaché to attend a meeting at either the end of this month or early next month.
The meeting will cover what progress has been made so far in the testing of an improved version of the CHD620 engine.
The CSOC offered the CHD620 after Germany refused to sell its MTU 396 diesel engines to China as they are designated a military/defence item.
In September, the RTN tested the CHD620 but did not then approve it due to doubts over its reliability as it had not been used in a Chinese submarine.
A working panel comprising the Naval Dockyard Department's Submarine Division and the Naval Acquisition Management Office has also been formed to further review the technical data to check that its capability is not inferior to the German-made MTU396, he said.
Adm Choengchai also said the RTN is communicating with its counterpart in Pakistan, which has also procured the same submarine type, regarding their experience with the engine.